Role Playing
by Lockleaf
Summary: After the BOTFA Thorin takes his nephews into a tunnel recently found within the mines of Erebor. When Fili leaves to fetch another torch, Thorin and Kili remain. Before Fili can return, disaster strikes leaving Thorin and Kili injured. After being electrocuted the king and youngest prince have switched bodies and must figure out how to switch back before anyone finds out.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, thank you so much for checking out my story. This is my first fanfic ever so it is bound to be a bit rough in places. I am hoping the real finesse will come with practice. **

**Just a quick disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, they are the creation of J.R.R. Tolkien and he deserves the credit for such amazing characters.**

** Let me know what you guys think after you've read it and please feel free to leave reviews, ideas, and especially criticisms. They may not always be fun but they will definitely help my writing and will make for a better story. Enjoy!**

"Keep up you two," ordered the dark-haired dwarf leading the way through a small tunnel. "Yes Uncle," chorused the pair of younger dwarves as they hurried to catch up. The princes, Fili and Kili, took in the sights of a new pass found recently within the mines of the kingdom Erebor.

Thorin, ducking under a low-hanging rock, couldn't help but grin in amusement at the look of amazement glowing in his nephews' eyes. His amusement only grew as both princes ran right into the rock he had just passed under, grunting in pain as they emerged on the other side, Fili rubbing his forehead and Kili his nose.

Eleven months had passed since Thorin Oakenshield and his company had won the Battle of the Five Armies and finally settled down within the city. Many others had also journeyed back to the mountain after hearing the news of Smaug's death and that the city had been reclaimed by the rightful King Under the Mountain. Now that months of hard work put in to reconstructing the dwarves' long lost home were coming to an end, no one could deny that Erebor was once again a place of great beauty. Mining had only recently began to pick back up and Bofur, the dwarf in charge of all mining operations and one of Thorin's most trusted friends, discovered a new tunnel with a promising vein of quartz stretching far back into the wall of the mountain. Upon hearing the good news, Thorin took this opportunity to take his prince nephews, and future heirs, inside to begin learning about the mining process.

"Okay, take a look at this wall and tell me what you see."

"A large white streak," answered Fili, slightly lost.

"And why is the streak important?"

Both princes looked at the streak and then back to their uncle, confusion covering their faces.

With a sigh, Thorin told them, "Within these streaks, or quartz veins, lays the gold and silver our mines produce. This particular vein is large; therefore it should produce a good amount."

Understanding replaced the confused looks from the princes' faces and Kili asked excitedly, "can we help mine this tunnel uncle?"

"Perhaps, but it will still be a few weeks before Bofur has it stable enough to do any mining in this pass," Thorin answered, pleased to see that the two were interested in trying the trade that made their city wealthy beyond compare.

A faint rumbling sounded within the tunnel, causing Fili and Kili to shuffle closer together.

"Thorin, what was that? The tunnel's not collapsing is it?" Fili asked nervously.

"No Fili, that was thunder from the storm outside, this pass leads straight towards the side of the mountain. Bofur said that once it has been mined dry they plan to use this pass as an emergency route in case of cave-ins."

"Oh, okay," Fili replied, looking quite relieved that the ceiling wasn't going to fall on him.

"Okay, let's carry on," Thorin said retrieving his torch from Kili. All three held a flame in case one was to go out or someone should get separated from the group. As Thorin rounded the corner, another rumble, this time louder, caused a shower of dirt to cover him, taking his light out with it. The king brushed the dust out of his hair and attempted to relight his flame with no luck.

"This torch is covered with dirt. Until it can be cleaned it is of no use."

Fili, always eager to help, came forward taking his uncle's extinguished light and said," You stay here with Kili and I will trade out your torch with that one back at the entrance of the tunnel."

"Okay but be careful Fili," Thorin replied, "and watch out for that overhang!"

A grunt followed by a string of curses in Khuzdul sounded from Fili's direction, too late.

Kili chuckled at his brother's clumsiness while Thorin turned back to the wall with a good natured smirk.

Running his calloused hands across its surface, Thorin gazed at the vein of quarts before him. It was an impressive nine inches wide along the majority of its visible length and stretched farther back than the limited light from Kili's torch allowed him to see. No doubt this vein would deliver when Bofur started mining it. Kili, taking his uncle's lead, also started admiring the streak along the wall. He ran his fingers over the cold, slightly rough quartz.

The rumbling began again, startling the youngest prince. He looked around to make sure nothing was going to fall on him or his uncle and seeing everything was safe, returned his gaze to the wall.

With his attention on the wall and the sound of Fili's footsteps, signifying his return echoing throughout the tunnel, Thorin didn't notice the change in the atmosphere of the pass. The air seemed to crackle with electricity making the hair stand up on his arms. The realization of what was happening hit Thorin too late. Before he could warn Kili, a pain unlike anything he had ever felt before shot up his arm through his fingertips and traveled his body. A force stronger than the blow of an orc's blade against a shield hurled the two dwarves against the opposite wall. Thorin grunted in pain and his vision went black. By the time he had slumped to the ground his mind had went blank and he knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thank you to all who have read and commented on my story! It is very encouraging to hear that people like what I have written so I will continue to do my best and make this story great! Enjoy.**

**Thorin's POV**

Thorin was in the training room of Erebor. Circling him, ready to attack, was his sparring partner Dwalin. The king looked his closest friend dead in the eyes and taunted him, beckoning him forward with his sword, Orcrist. He was casting a mischievous smile he hadn't used in years. Giving in to the taunts, Dwalin swung his axe forward, toward Thorin's midsection. The king jumped backwards, dodging his friend's strike. Planting his feet he moved Orcrist with lightening speed to cut at Dwalin's shoulder. Stepping back quickly, Dwalin parried the king's strike with his battle axe and lifted it high. He brought it down at his partner's head with a force that would split a skull with ease. Moving one gloved hand to the tip of his blade, leaving the other firmly grasping the hilt, Thorin blocked Dwalin's swing and gave him a swift kick to the gut. Moaning, the dwarf bent over nearly falling to his knees, and a wave of pain washed through him. Before he could steady himself to strike again, Thorin had dropped low and kicked, knocking his legs from underneath him, sending his sprawling down flat on his back. Struggling to replace the air the fall had robbed from his lungs, Dwalin felt the tip of something sharp touch his chest, directly above his heart.

Looking up, he saw Thorin with a smug grin plastered on his face, his sword pointed down at him. At the sight of his friend's boasting, Dwalin gave the most convincing scowl he could muster up and, accepting his defeat, replaced the scowl with a good natured smirk. Thorin removed his blade from Dwalin's chest and reached out to help him up. Dwalin, grunting with effort, leaned forward, grasping the king's hand. At his touch, searing pain hotter than fire from the forges he had spent many years working in gripped Thorin's arm and made his knees go weak. He could no longer hear swords clanging or the grunts of dwarves sparring around him, nor could he see the training room he had been standing in moments ago.

A world of nothingness overtook his senses, leaving Thorin searching desperately for a light in this darkness. Finally, after what could have been mere seconds or a hundred years, a soft glow began to creep into his mind. The glow grew brighter and brighter until Thorin found himself opening his eyes to a strange environment. The smell herbs and clean sheets was overpowering and he could hear a fire crackling somewhere along the wall. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the torch light above his head and he realized he was in the infirmary. He tried to sit up but a sharp pain that began in his spine sent an ache into his legs and shoulders. As the pain subsided, a persistent throbbing became present in his head as he finally pulled himself into an upright position.

Looking around the room, he found it was empty, other than the sleeping form in the bed next to him. He couldn't make out who it was because they were on their side with their back turned to him. All he could see was a mess of black hair peeking out of the blankets. Looking down at his own body, he saw that he was in a clean shirt and trousers and his hands were bandaged.

Taking a deep breath, hoping to calm his headache, Thorin remembered what had happened earlier. It was a bit hazy, but the king recalled being in the mines and feeling the shock as electricity had traveled from a lightening strike outside through the quartz and entered his body. The vein must travel all the way to the side of the mountain and break the surface. The dwarf frowned at the thought. Of all the luck! Glancing back over to the neighboring bed, Thorin realized that it must be Kili next to him. He remembered seeing Kili convulse as the electricity traveled through him as well before he blacked out.

Worry burned deep within his chest as he watched his nephew sleep. He must be laying in an odd position, he thought, because his shoulders seemed broader than they normally looked. A cool breeze flowed through the open door. Cold tickled Thorin's nose and chin, making his grateful for the fire in the corner of the room.

His hands immediately shot up to his face. Even through the bandages, Thorin felt, with a cold dread, what had disturbed him.

His beard was gone!

Smooth skin with maybe the slightest amount of stubble covered the area that was usually sporting a thick, yet groomed beard. They had shaved him while he was unconscious. A wave of irritation and anger washed over the king as he got up to make his way the washroom on the other side of the infirmary. Carefully, trying not to wake his sleeping nephew, he crept past his bed and into the other room, tip toeing over the cold floor. The shock from the lightening must have really thrown him off because he felt incredibly unbalanced from the moment he stood up. Stopping in front of the mirror, he froze at the sight of his reflection. It wasn't the lack of beard and dark circles that ringed his tired eyes that sent ice to his core. It was his face or not his face actually. Staring back at Thorin was Kili's reflection, mimicking his every move.

"Durin's Beard!"

**Kili's POV**

Startled by the sudden shouting coming from somewhere in the room Kili jolted awake, sitting up and biting back a scream as his body protested with a wave of pain that threatened to pull him back into the blackness he had been fighting to escape. He heard the shuffling of feet in the washroom beside him. Kili threw the blankets off his body and, as quickly as possible, heaved himself out of his sick bed.

He hadn't made it three steps before he lurched sideways and had to take a moment to steady himself. He didn't know if he was on pain meds or if he still wasn't fully awake but his body felt somehow heavier. Straightening his back he noticed that the ground seemed slightly farther away than usual. Kili took a deep breath to clear his head and moved toward the washroom, ignoring the ache that rippled through his stiff legs with every step.

Entering the space he saw a figure staring at a mirror, head cocked to the side in confusion. Memories flooded the prince's mind, filling his head with visions of the mines and his uncle being thrown against the wall of the tunnel they had been exploring. The pain came back to him as well as he recalled the energy that had knocked him to the ground and stole his consciousness. Taking a step forward, he placed a hand on who he guessed was his uncle's shoulder.

"Thorin?"

The dwarf turned and the sight that greeted him sent Kili staggering backward. He was dreaming. He had to be. How else could he be looking at himself? The stranger with his face looked at him, eyes as wide like full moons.

"Kili?"

"Uncle!"

Thorin moved towards him, but Kili, disturbed at the sight before him circled around his body. He glanced sideways into the mirror and the suspicions that had been growing within him were proven correct. He was in Thorin's body. His hands went to his head. He felt long hair and, moving them to his face, he felt his Uncle's beard covering his chin.

_Ahh_, he thought, _so this is what it feels like to have a beard._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, I'm finally back! I am so sorry it has been so long since I have updated this story; my laptop decided that it wanted to shoot sparks at me and die. True story, but I am finally back and here is a new chapter. Enjoy!**

A few moments passed as Thorin watched his nephew take in his own appearance. As he looked on he noticed that Kili's hands remained in the beard covering the face he wore and a satisfied gleam entered his eyes. Turning his head to the side and sticking out his jaw, Kili stroked his chin, grinning like a child who had just discovered his first chest hair. Realizing exactly what his youngest heir was doing, Thorin promptly swatted the back of his head to regain his attention.

"Ow!"

"Kili, you've just woken up to realize that you have switched bodies with your uncle and all you can do is admire my beard?"

"What I've never had one before!" the dwarf answered a little too innocently. The king rolled his eyes and sighed deeply at the sight before him. _What in Mahal's name would he do with this boy?_

"Uncle, how did this happen?"

"I'm not sure. It must have something to do with the shock in the tunnels. I've heard of miners getting electrocuted through quartz in shallow mines before, but not once have I heard of anything like this."

"How are we going to fix this?"

Thorin's brows furrowed as he thought about a way to fix their current situation. Whatever had happened to them was clearly some work of magic because nothing else could literally pluck a soul out of a body and deposit it into another. This made the problem even worse for he was no wizard and had little to no knowledge of magic. Luckily, he knew someone that did.

"The wisest thing to do would be to consult Gandalf and see if he can figure out what has happened to us."

"But Gandalf left to escort Master Boggins back to the Shire months ago, they would have long since made it back and he could be anywhere from Rivendell to Gondor by now."

"I know Kili, but I know of no others who can help us. We will just have to find our wizard friend and hope he will know how to fix this."

Kili brightened a little by his Uncle's words, but it quickly diminished as he thought about what would happen until Gandalf could get there. "What do we do until then?"

At this question, Thorin realized that is could be months, even years before they were back in their own skins. They may even be stuck like this forever.

"No one can know about this Kili. If Erebor or other cities are to learn of these strange events, our kingdom would be seen as weak, ultimately making us a target to any who would want to attack."

"How is that uncle? Just because you are in my body doesn't make you weak!" Kili protested annoyed that his Uncle found his presence weak.

"That's not what I meant, I-'' Kili cut him off before he could finish his sentence, growing angrier by the second.

"What, that I am good enough for third in line but not good enough to be you. Will it be too embarrassing for you to rule as a dwarf as such as myself: young and beardless!"

"Kili!" Thorin yelled to silence his nephew, who had been screaming in his outrage.

"They will think us mad if we tell them that we have switched bodies. How well do you think the conversation would go if we simply strolled into the council chambers and told them that I am you and you I? They would say our heads were scrambled in the accident and find me unfit to rule. Tell me do you fancy the thought of your brother and everyone we call our friends sending us pitying looks as they drag us out of the room and lock us away until our "craziness" passes?"

Kili's eyes grew wide when he understood his uncle's words rang true. They would find them crazy without a second thought and what then? Gandalf probably wouldn't even listen to them after hearing the story from another source first. No! Thorin was right, no one could know. But…Fili? Fili would believe him wouldn't he? They were brothers after all. They know things only the other would know after a lifetime together and surely that would be enough to convince him.

Seeing the fear on his nephews face, Thorin gripped his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We will just have to keep it quiet until Gandalf can help us. I will send word for him as soon as we get out of here."

Kili nodded his head and stepped forward, gathering his uncle in a hug. Thorin returned the embrace but couldn't help finding it weird that he was hugging his own body.

"I want to tell Fili at least."

"No."

"Uncle, Fili would believe me. Maybe not at first, but I could convince him I'm sure of it," the young dwarf pleaded.

"Kili, I know you want to confide in your brother, but this time I just can't see it wise to tell him."

"If he doesn't believe me, then we can play it off as a joke. We can say we just had cabin fever and were dying for some entertainment."

Thorin looked away from his nephew contemplating Kili's request, still unsure if it was worth the risk.

"Besides," the prince grinned mischievously, "I'm sure he will find the idea of you being in on a joke way more far fetched than the actual situation." This earned a famous scowl from his uncle which was much less effective on Kili's boyish face.  
>After another moment Thorin finally conceded, "Fine, we can tell Fili."<p>

"Tell Fili What?"

Both heads turned to see the eldest heir standing in the other room.

"Fili I didn't hear you come in," Kili said, stepping back into the room his brother had just entered.

"I had just walked in. What do you want to tell me?" Kili and Thorin shared a glance and, with a nod from Thorin, Kili took a calming breath and turned to his brother.

"You may want to sit down for this one Fi."


End file.
